


Friends

by otakuashels



Series: To the Citadel and Beyond [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Relationship(s), Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 08:04:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6147115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otakuashels/pseuds/otakuashels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peering around the corner Shepard could not quell the smile that expanded across her features as she saw alien and human alike squeeze into the room, those from all three of her overlapping crews. Her friends. The real prize in saving the universe "Hey everyone"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friends

"It's fine, it fits, doesn't pinch. I don’t need something high tech outside of the field. Plus retired remember?" Shepard sighed. She was currently in the middle of a staring contest at Huerta Memorial. Shepard vs. Dr. Chakwas. It had been 54 days since the end of the Reaper war. Fifty-four days since she had been pulled from the rubble of London and brought to Huerta Memorial. She had been unconscious to the galaxy for the first six. After evacuation from stone and synthetic chaos, she had been pushed into emergency surgery. Miranda even left Oriana's side to come to the hospital, attempts to arrest the ex-Cerberus (cheerleader) quelled swiftly by a team of angry aliens and humans, loaded to the teeth with bullets and biotics. Between the Huerta professionals, Dr. Chakwas and Miranda she had survived. 

The only thing that did not make it, was her right leg. Between the shattered bones and shredded blood vessels, her mid thigh down was gone. Kaiden had informed her that there was no way, even with Miranda's hands that they could rebuild her leg at that time. She would have been comatose for an unforeseeable amount of time. The internal structure of her leg, a fine powder. 

"But Shepard-" Garrus's opposition brought Shepards attention back to the present once more. 

"Vakarian its fine" She looked at her Omni-tool. "Now don't you have ambassador stuff to do. I am sure you can try to argue with me later" she grinned at him, eyes glinting beneath sandalwood brown bangs in desperate need of a cut. She was right and they both knew it. "Tata." she waved. The frustrated turian's mandibles flared in agitation but he left nonetheless. With one more glance at the others, they too headed out to perform their necessary duties. Alenko stopping briefly to press a longing kiss against her mouth. Oh, she would tend to that later. Once her final checkup clear she needed to get back on her cardio training. But for now, she pressed the call button at her side, she wanted to get back to the Normandy...

"Ah so this is where you are hiding" The voice was filled with amusement, breaking into Shepards thoughts with ease. "Everyone has been looking for you. What are you doing hiding in the comm room?" 

"So far no one has found me. Well until now. So my guess was right, comm room was a great place to hide." The women in question looked sheepishly up. Raising her datapad up she flashed the screen at the man, she had been reading a book. It was the grinning face of her pilot beaming down at her that assured her that nothing important was happening. A near permanent grin, kept forever in the shadow of his ball cap. "Everyone is looking for me huh?" she watched, placing her virtual book mark, as the man lowered himself carefully to the floor beside her, broad back pressing against the comm paneling as well. 

"Yep, everyone" 

"You didn't seem concerned as to of my whereabouts. Or surprised to see me in here" she arched her brow, tucking the blanket over her lap tighter she pulled her knees to her chest, arms pulling her knees together. 

"EDI said she knew where you were and that you were safe. That was good enough for me. " Joker shrugged rubbing his hand along his jaw. "I figured you wanted to be alone for awhile." 

"Yet you came looking in here?" 

"Ah. Nah I came in here to grab a spare data pad." 

"Forget to charge yours again?" the Alliance Commander chuckled, rubbing at her brow. "Ever predictable Joker" 

"Hey! I am not predictable! the pilot protested "that seems like your tarnishing my name! he protested dramatically, resulting in laughter from the pair. 

Quick. Teasing. Familiarity. 

"Oh Joker, I can not tarnish your name. Even after you broke me heart" Shepard sighed, forlorn. She gazed into the LED lights along the ceiling, black spots blooming across her vision, only adding to the effect. It took self control to hold in the laughter that threatened as Joker sputtered. 

"C-Commander?! Broke your heart!? B-But you and Alenko-" 

"There you go!" Her position shifted dramatically, dropping her face into her hands, hoping the shake of her shoulders would be mistaken for sobs. "I sought after you for so long and you rejected me! Only to turn around and get with an AI! Why!? Why was I not good enough for you Jeff? What did I do wrong?" It took all of her power not to give up the farce and just laugh as her friend begin to fumble even harder. Mere seconds seemed to past before Shepard had to have pity on the poor man. " I jest Joker!" She grinned, snorting as she straightened, she smacked the brim of his hat. Her laughter echoing his as he stared at her in disbelief. The man blinked slowly, before his own grin echoed hers, his laughter joining her own. It was easy to relax with Joker. They had known each other for years and when they had first met they had become quick friends. He stuck with her through thick and thin. Alliance to Cerberus and back to Alliance. They told each other everything, her fears, his new relationship with EDI, the reapers, everything. 

She had made so many friends during the last couple of years. Garrus, Liara, Tali, Jack, Wrex, Thane, and the list could go on forever. They had all been with her for as long as fate allowed. Her omni-tool beeped, scanning the notifications Shepard saw multiple e-mails, all from friends asking where she was hiding. 

"Everyone?" 

"Ya" she nodded at Joker before tapping out a quick, mass email "Can't even read a book without the galaxy needing me" she sighed dramatically, grinning at the man beside her. 

"Well when you came back from the dead and saved the galaxy you became quite popular" 

"I am just glad the rest of you finally received the recognition that you all deserve" she closed her omni-tool. "I may be the face of everything, but honestly, without all of you I would have never become a specter" she waved her hand to stop his protests "If it wasn’t for the relationships I cultivated I would have never been able to push through all those hard times. Those we lost reminded me what it was that I was truly fighting for and those sacrifices I could not tarnish with cowardice or failure" she smiled at her pilot. 

"It all started with Ashley huh?" 

"Ya" she slumped back against the paneling again "It was that first death, of one so close to me, that solidified how important it was for me to succeed against the reapers" she looked up as a hand grasped hers. 

"And we couldn’t have asked for a better friend to stand beside Shepard" Joker squeezed her and tightly. "I will always be there for you Shepard" he promised 

"And I you" she smiled. Both looked up as the door to the comm room opened. Peering around the corner Shepard could not quell the smile that expanded across her features as she saw alien and human alike squeeze into the room, those from all three of her overlapping crews. Her friends. The real prize in saving the universe "Hey everyone"


End file.
